Jorge Luis Ruiz is one of 750,000 legal residents the government wants to check out.

That's because Ruiz, a 54-year-old Houston butcher, has an older "green card" or resident alien card without an expiration date.

The government, for security reasons, has proposed that legal immigrants such as Ruiz reapply for a new card, a process that includes a fingerprint check and stringent background investigation. The cost is nearly $400.

Ruiz predicts the proposed change will cause pain in the immigrant community.

"Do you think someone who earns $7 an hour is going to be able to afford a new mica, and still pay all the bills?" said Ruiz, using the Spanish slang for the credential. "And especially if only one in the household is working?"

Instead of renewing the card, Ruiz is now considering spending a little bit more and becoming a U.S. citizen. "I'm thinking about that because I'm getting older and because of the benefits American citizens have," he said.

The proposal, published in the Federal Register on Tuesday, would require people who were issued green cards between 1977 and 1989 to pass a fingerprint and background check and pay a $370 processing fee, or face criminal penalties.

"These are the old, old cards," Juarez said. "I don't think there are a lot of them ... "

Under the plan, legal residents would have 120 days to replace their green cards, which are proof of authorization to work and live in the U.S.

Lawful permanent residents would have to pay a $290 replacement application fee plus $80 for electronic fingerprints and a photo. Those who repeatedly fail to comply face up to 30 days in prison and a $100 fine.

Green cards issued within that 12-year window, from 1977 to 1989, had no expiration dates. Newer green cards must be renewed after 10 years.

Expert offers advice

One immigration expert in Houston said legal residents with the older cards should instead apply for full citizenship.

"The best move is to become a U.S. citizen," said Nelson Reyes , executive director of the Central American Resource Center in southwest Houston. "Because it costs $675 to become a U.S. citizen, and to renew the card is nearly $400. These costs are similar, but the benefits of becoming a U.S. citizen are greater."

Crystal Williams, deputy director for programs for the American Immigration Lawyers Association, said the proposed law is, "to some extent, asking people to report themselves for deportation." Under a 1996 immigration law, permanent residents convicted of a range of crimes are subject to deportation, even if the offenses occurred years ago.

The new background and fingerprint check required under the proposed law would bring applicants' criminal history to the attention of immigration officials, Williams said.

Williams also said she is concerned that the affected green card holders may not realize — if the rule becomes law — that they need to renew their green cards, since they have been in the U.S. for so long.